About Me

I am married to my loving husband for more than 38 years now. I am a mother to 3 beautiful children, until 11 years ago when I lost my youngest son. Since then my life is forever altered but yet unbroken....

My Travel Journal

"There isn't much I haven't shared with you along the road and through it all there'd always be tomorrow's episode" - Elton John

I started traveling around the world since early 80s when I had the opportunity to combine business trips with vacations. Then later when my rezeki is in abundance, there were numerous other trips along the way for vacations, most of the time with hubby and the kids when the timing is right. I have also started to compile the journal and photo-pages covering almost more than 25 years of world wide travel. Some destinations I visited just once, others many times. Many of those places are the obvious famous places people would like to visit but some, the casual traveler doesn't even think to try. I have placed links to my travel at the side bar of my personal page, My Life Reflections, and will be updating them from time to time.

My wish is to continue my travel and complete circumnavigate the globe, insyaAllah…

Monday, 18 November 1996

"Life has no limitations, except the ones you make..." - Les BrownCape Town, South Africa(13 - 15 November 1996)

The city centre lies to the north of Table Mountain. The commercial centre, known as the City Bowl, takes in many of Cape Town's attractions. The Castle of Good Hope was built between 1666 and 1679 and is one of the oldest European structures in Southern Africa. The South African Museum is a good old-fashioned place, with cases and cases of stuffed animals and bloodthirsty dioramas of dinosaurs. Exhibitions of indigenous cultures include some startlingly lifelike displays of San communities. If you see only one museum in Cape Town make it the District Six Museum, a much simpler place dedicated to residents of this formerly vibrant and now bulldozed community. The Victoria and Alfred Waterfront is to the north of the city centre. This area is unashamedly pitched at tourists but it avoids the glossy unreality of comparable port revamps. It's atmospheric, interesting and packed with restaurants, bars, music venues, shops and a great aquarium. This area kicks on late so head down anytime.

(A view point on Table Mountain)

The Table Mountain cableway is such an obvious and popular attraction you might have difficulty convincing yourself it's worth the trouble and expense. It is. When it's clear, the views from the top are phenomenal and there are some excellent walks on the summit, especially in spring when the plants are flowering. The Kirstenbosch Botanic Gardens on the eastern side of Table Mountain are among the most beautiful in the world and are devoted almost exclusively to indigenous plants. A trip to Robben Island comes highly recommended: The island was a political prison until majority rule, and its most famous inmate was Nelson Mandela.

(The confluence of two oceans)

(A windy weather at the tip of the cape)

Like all South African cities, Cape Town is ambivalent - European but not European, African but not African - a mixture of the third and first worlds. But when it comes to being one of the most beautiful cities in the world, it is unequivocal. Even the transient visitor will appreciate this city, its mountains and the sea. Cape Town, South Africa's oldest settlement, is dominated by the kilometre high flat-topped Table Mountain and superb mountain walks, vineyards and beaches are all within easy reach. Despite an increase in street crime in recent years, Cape Town remains one of the most relaxed cities in Africa, which can instil a false sense of security. Paranoia is not required but common sense is.

Wednesday, 13 November 1996

"If we can see the positive sides of everything, you'll be able to live a much richer life than others..." - Celestine Chua

Johanesburg, South Africa

(10 - 13 November 1996)

Hubby was invited as a resource person to deliver a lecture in a seminar held in Kwa Maritane. I accompanied him throughout the trip and have the opportunity to do my own adventuring in the safari park. Kwa Maritane Bush Lodge is a luxury accommodation in the Pilansberg offers all the amenities of an exclusive resort within the Pilanesberg National Park, an easy drive of 2 hours from Johannesburg or about 3 km from the airport.

Later, we spent a few days in Cape Town and drove up to the Cape of Good Hope…

(On a Safari adventure tour)

Jo'burg, Jozi, eGoli or 'the city of gold' (never Johannesburg) is by far the largest city in South Africa. It's brash, fast-growing and often ugly, but it's got wealth, energy and a beautiful climate. Many would suggest you go through Jo'burg as quickly as possible, with your valuables plugging all available orifices. However, if you want to see the 'real' South Africa - and try to understand it - Jo'burg has to be on your itinerary. Anyway, you may not have a choice about visiting the city as most international flights stop here.

(Waiting to for dinner)

While the colour lines are etched deeply, you stand a better chance of meeting blacks on relatively equal terms in Jo'burg than almost anywhere else. Unlike many South African cities where there are so few black faces you could forget that you are in Africa, the centre of Jo'burg has been reclaimed and the sidewalks are jammed with black hawkers and stalls of every description. There's also a growing multiracial music and theatre scene.

(Going for a night outing)

The so-called black townships, where conditions range from reasonable to appalling, ring the city and are a grotesque contrast to the northern suburbs. Soweto is the main township. It's an enormous, sprawling and sometimes grim spread of bungalows, houses, huts, shacks and dorms. Most white South Africans are completely ignorant of life inside the townships and few have ever been inside one. Although the townships are still in a state of acute social trauma, outsiders are not automatically targeted…